What about Disinfectants?

When considering the need for disinfectants in your home it helps to remember that it is a house not a hospital. Getting rid of germs doesn’t have to mean overkill. Plain soap and water and a little elbow grease effectively washed away most microorganisms and their sources of food and moisture.

To be labeled a disinfectant a product must kill 99.99% of a specific bacterial test population. This definition is important for hospitals which rely on disinfectants to sterilize equipment. Most effective disinfectants are toxic and in varying degrees harmful for the environment.

Chlorine bleach, a common disinfectant, is highly caustic, meaning it can burn skin and eyes–and can be fatal if swallowed. In the environment, it can create organochlorines, which are suspected carcinogens as well as reproductive, neurological and immune-system toxins. Chlorine should never be mixed with ammonia or any acid (including vinegar) as a noxious gas are formed.

The best way to keep you house free of microorganisms is to keep it clean and dry. Mold, mildew, and bacteria cannot live without moisture. Remove food borne pathogens, such as salmonella or e.coli, by washing all cutting boards, dishes, knives, sponges and surfaces that have touched raw meat or eggs in very hot, soapy water. You might want to use separate cutting boards for meat.

You can use vinegar and hydrogen peroxide to disinfect your kitchen counters, produce and even your cutting boards. All you need is three percent hydrogen peroxide, the type you buy at the drug store, vinegar (white or apple cider), and two clean sprayers, like the kind you use to mist plants.

Fill each sprayer separately, one with peroxide and the other with vinegar (don’t mix them together in one bottle – that makes peracetic acid, which isn’t safe and can give you a bad chemical burn). Spritz the item you want to disinfect, with one, wait ten seconds, and then the other, the order does not matter, then rinse off under running water.

University tests show that this technique killed more potentially lethal bacteria, including Salmonella, Shigella, and even E. coli, than chlorine bleach or any commercially available kitchen cleaner.

Other recommendations for reducing microbes without disinfectants include:

Make use of ultraviolet radiation in sunshine which kills germs. Musty furniture, towels, and fabrics can be laid in the sun along with bath toys and bath mats.

Floors are not generally an area of concern but if you have infants crawling on the floor, you might consider asking guest to remove shoes when they come into the house.

Keep your mops, rags, and sponges clean and dry. Wash sponges regularly in the dishwasher.

To find out more about Safe & Natural Cleaning and Personal Care Products check out: